Fruit-slicer



(No Model.) 7

F. B. SMITH.

FRUIT SLIGER.

Patented May 6, 1890.

N lllflll 7 I WITNESSES:

WWW 7ww w (1M4 vi /W V BY ATTUH N EYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN B. SMITH, OF CLYDE, NEWV YORK.

FRUIT-SLICER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,373, dated May 6, 1890.

Application filed January 2'7, 1890. Serial No. 338,212. (No model.)

To aZZ whom-it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN B. SMITH, of Clyde, in the county of IVayne, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Slicers, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the class of fruit slicing machines in which a series of knives are arranged at different elevations over a rotary fruit-carrier; and the invention consists in an improved organization of a machine which possesses great efficiency and advantages over other machines of the same class.

The invention is fully illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which' Figure 1 is an end elevation of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on line a: at, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line y y, Fig. 2, with ,the fruit-carrier under the cams which draw the fruit-pushing plates inward from the periphery of the fruit-carrying wheel. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the yielding connection of the knife-holding frame to the main supporting-frame of the machine, and Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the fruit-supporting spindle.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the main supporting-frame of the machine.

B denotes the fruit carrier or feed, consistin g of a vertically rotary wheel fixed to a horizontal shaft which is journaled in suitable bearings secured to the frame A. Said wheel may be driven in any suitable manner, either by foot-power or by hand, or by a pulley and driving-belt or gearing, as may be most convenient or desired.

The driving mechanism illustrated in the annexed drawings consists of a gear-wheel a, secured to the shaft of the fruit-carrying wheel B, and meshing with a pinion Z2, attached to a counter-shaft or crank-shaft c, mounted in bearings on the frame A. A treadle C is connected with the crank of the shaft 0 by a pitman d to operate the machine by footpower, and a balance-wheel D is connected-to the crank-shaft o, and is preferably of the form of a pulley to allow the machine to be driven by a belt connecting said pulley with a suitable motor.

The wheel B is formed with a broad peripheral rim or face, which is provided with transverse slots 6 e. To the inner side of the rim of said wheel are secured suitable springs ff, preferably of the form of spring-leaves, attached at one end to the wheel, and having their free ends under the respective slots e e and exerting an outward pressure thereat. In the slots 6 e are arranged movably radially in relation to the wheel B plates 9 g, which are provided with radial slots L,for the purpose hereinafter explained, and are connected to the free ends of the springs f f by means of interposed transverse bars g, having slots for. the reception of the plates and set-screws for fastening the latter, and a bolt h fastens the spring to the said bar, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. To the ends of the bars g are journaled rollers Z Z.

Over the periphery of the wheel B is arranged a series of knives jj j, disposed transversely to the wheel and at varying distances therefrom, and secured to a frame F, mounted on the frame A, and connected thereto, preferably, yieldingly outward from the wheel B, so that in case hard foreign substances happen to enter between the wheel and knives the knife-holding frame F will yield and allow the foreign substance'to pass under the knives Without seriously injuring the same.

The attachment of the frame F,'I preferably make by hinging the front end thereof to the frame A, and connecting the opposite end by a rubber band or suitable spring 70, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

Over the wheel B and in front of the knives jj j, I place a spindle I in an upright position or radially to the wheel B and in the path of the slots 4; of the plates g, which latter are held normally in an outward projecting position by the springs f. The said spindle is formed with a horizontal extension I, which is bifurcated and terminated with eyes m m, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

By means of bolts passing through the eyes on m and into the top portion of the end of the frame A the spindle I is detachably connected to said frame, and is thus removable from its position in front of the knives j j. By removing the spindle and dropping the fruit promiscuously onto the wheel B the fruit is allowed to roll during its passage through the knivesj j j, and thus the fruit is chopped instead of sliced. The front of the lower portion of the spindle and top of the horizontal extension I thereof are beveled to an edge to form a vertical knife, which cuts freely through the fruit when carried to the knives by the engagement of one of the plates g projecting from the revolving wheel B. Under the knives j j j are cams n 02, secured stationary to the frame A and disposed in such positions and such angles of inclination as to cause the rollers Z Z, hereinbefore described, to travel on said cams, and thereby press the plate g radially inward from its proj ecting position and prevent said plate from coming in contact with the knives. The lower portions of the cams are continued at the same angle of inclination, so as to allow the plate g to gradually return to its outwardprojecting position after the same has passed the knives.

In operating my machine the apples or other fruit are placed upon the spindle I by passing the latter through the center of the fruit, as represented by dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The wheel 13, rotating with its top toward the knives jj and the plates g, projecting normally from the periphery of the said wheel, causes said plates to push the fruit which is on the bottom of the spindle through the .knives. The fruit on the upper part of the spindle is pushed down immediately after the fruit has been removed from the bottom of the spindle, as aforesaid, so as to bring another fruit in position to be carried to the knives by the succeeding plate g.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fruit-slicer, the combination of a vertically-rotary wheel, projections on the periphery of said wheel, a series of knives over the said periphery, and a fruit-supporting spindle in front of the knives and in the path of the projections of the aforesaid wheel, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combined slicing and chopping machine consisting of a vertically-rotary wheel, projections on the periphery of said wheel, a series of knives over said periphery, and a vertical knife removably connected to the frame in front of said series of knives to convert the slicing-machine into a chopping-machine, as set forth.

3. The combination of a Vertically-rotary wheel, plates arranged movably radially in the periphery of said wheel, springs holding said plates normally in outward-proj ectin g positions, a series of knives disposed transversely over the periphery of the aforesaid wheel and at varying distances therefrom, and a stationary cam adapted to press the aforesaid plates inward from their projecting position during the passage of the same under the aforesaid knives, substantially as set forth.

at. The combination of a vertically-rotary wheel, spring-leaves secured to the inner side of the peripheral rim of said wheel and exerting an outward pressure with their free ends, plates disposed crosswise of the periphcry of the wheel and secured to the free ends of said spring-leaves and held thereby in a radially-outward-projecting position and provided with radial slots in their outer ends, a series of knives disposed transversely over the periphery of the wheel and at varying distances therefrom, a fruit-supporting spindle in front of the knives and in the path of the slots of the aforesaid plates, and a cam adapted to depress the free ends of the springleaves during the passage of the slotted plates under the knives, substantially as described and shown.

5. The combination of a vertically-rotary wheel having a broad peripheral rim and transverse slots through said rim, springs secured to the inner side of the wheel, plates secured to said springs and proj ectin g through the aforesaid slots of the'wheel, rollers pivoted to the heels of the plates outside of the edges of the rim. of the wheel, stationary cams 011 the frame in the path of the aforesaid rollers, and a series of knives over the portion of the rim of the wheel directly over the aforesaid cams, substantially as described and shown, for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination, with the supportingframe, of a vertically-rotary wheel having a broad peripheral rim and transverse slots through said rim, spring-leaves secured to the inner side of said rim and pressing outward with their free ends, plates secured to the latter ends of the spring-leaves and held thereby projecting outward through the aforesaid slots of the wheel-rim and provided with radial slots, rollers pivoted to the heels of said plates outside of the edges of the Wheel-rim, cams secured stationary to the frame and in the path of the aforesaid rollers, a series of knives over the rim of the wheel directly overthe aforesaid cams, and a fruitsupporting spindle in front of the knives and in the path of the slots of the aforesaid plates, substantially as described and shown.

7. In combination with the supportingframe A and the vertically-rotary wheel B, provided with projections on its periphery, the knife-holding frame F, hinged at its front end to the said frame and connected thereto at its opposite end by a spring K, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 24th day of January, 1890.

FRANKLIN B. SMITH. [L. s]

WVitnesses:

O. M. SMITH, G. W. CowLEs. 

